Haircutting device

ABSTRACT

A DEVICE FOR CUTTING HAIR HAVING FINGER MANIPULATING MEANS FOR ADJUSTING THE DEPTH OF CUT OF THE HAIR. THE ADJUSTING MEANS MAY BE OPERATED WITHOUT CEASING THE HAIRCUTTING OPERATION, AND THE ELONGATED HANDLE OF THE DEVICE MAY BE PIVOTED OUT OF THE WAY IF IT IS DESIRED TO USE THE FORMED FINGER REST.

Oct. 19, 1971 LUNDELL 3,613,233

HAIRCUTTING DEVICE Filed Aug. 5, 1969 11.1'15'1 0/: ARNOLD W LUNDELL 3,613,233 Patented Oct. 19, 1971 3,613,233 HAIRCUTTING DEVICE Arnold W. Lundell, 220 Byram Shore Road,

Byram, Conn. 10573 Filed Aug. 5, 1969, Ser. No. 847,621 Int. Cl. B26b 19/00, 21/12 US. CI. 30-30 6 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A device for cutting hair having finger manipulating means for adjusting the depth of cut of the hair. The ad usting means may be operated without ceasing the haircutting operation, and the elongated handle of the device may be pivoted out of the way if it is desired to use the formed finger rest.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION lrevious haircutting or hairtrimming devices were not easlly adjustable for depth of cut by the user without interrupting the haircutting operation. In addition, known devices of this type did not provide for changing cutting blades without disassembling the device.

Devices of this type do not function eificiently as both a haircutter and a straight razor shaving device, inasmuch as the construction of each of these devices are required to be considerably different. Moreover, it has been difii cult in previous constructions of this type to accurately revert back to a selected knife blade setting after others have used the device and changed the setting.

Prior constructions of this type have been bulky and did have the appearance and feel of a straight razor, the latter being a necessary implement for barbers giving razor haircuts, without the inherent disadvantages of straight razors.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a haircutting and hairtrimming device in which the cutting blade may be adjusted manually for depth of cut during haircutting, and without ceasing the haircutting operation.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an indicator on the device for visually indicating the blade setting on the housing of the device.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a haircutting and trimming device in which the cutting blades may be changed without disassembling the device.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a haircutting and trimming device which can also be utilized for shaving, and in which the handle can be pivoted upwardly permitting the use of a shaped finger rest for the user who prefers such a construction.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide stop surfaces in the blade housing thereby permitting only limited movement of the blade in its holder and relative thereto.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a two part blade holder in which one part thereof is provided with leaf springs for insuring the positive engagement of the blade holder parts with the cutting blade therebetween.

An object of the present invention is to provide a device in which the rotatable drive gear engages a pair of spaced racks on one part of the blade holder in order to positively drive the part together with the cutter blade relative to the other part of the blade holder.

The objects and advantages derived by the use of this invention will be better understood by reference to the following detailed specification when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective exploded view of the haircutting and trimming device constructed in accordance with the teachings of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the device shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view of the device taken along lines 33 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is another sectional view of the device taken along lines 4-4 of FIG. 2; and

FIG. 5 is a rear elevational view of one of the blade holder parts.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring to the drawings, the present haircutting and trimming device comprises a blade housing constituted of a blade holder part 12 and a blade holder part 14. A U-shaped handle 16 is pivotably secured to blade holder part 12 by means of a pivot pin 18. The blade holder part 12 is further provided with an extension 20 having finger rests 22 and 24. The handle 16 has a cross pin 26 so located that when the handle 16 is co-extensive with the blade housing, as shown in full lines in FIG. 2, the crosspin 26 rests in the groove formed by finger rest 24. As seen in FIG. 1, the handle 16 may be raised to the dotted line position in order to move the handle 16 out of the way when using finger rests 22 and 24.

Mounted in a groove 28 or blade holder part 12 is an elongated gear 30 supported in bearings 31 and 33 A grooved finger wheel 32 is secured at one end to gear 30 and projects from both sides of the blade holder part 12, thereby permitting the wheel to be easily operated by the users fingers.

The blade holder part 12 is also provided with spaced front grooves 34 and 36 and side grooves 38 and 40. Also provided on part 12 are blade upper stops 42 and 44 as well as comb teeth 46. The comb teeth 46 are additionally provided with a line of indentations forming a lower stop member 51.

The blade holder part 14 is clearly seen in FIGS. 1 and 5. The reverse side of part 14, as shown in FIG. 5, has a pair of spaced racks 48 as well as leaf springs 50. The part 14 is also provided with a lower blade stop member 52 which co-acts with lower blade stop member 51 on the comb 46 to prevent the blade 54 from being lowered more than a fixed distance from the ends of comb teeth 46.

The blade 54 is inserted in the opening 56 formed between the blade holder parts 12 and 14 when the latter is fitted within the former by means of springs 50 of part 14 being inserted in the side grooves 38 and of part 12. When this occurs, and the part 14 is depressed, the racks 48 will engage elongated gear 30. The wheel 32 may then be rotated in one direction to elevate the blade 54 or in the other direction to lower said blade.

It should be noted that the upper stops 42 and 44 of blade holder part 12 are engaged by the spine 54a of the blade 54 to thereby arrest the further upward movement of blade 54 beyond a fixed elevation. Likewise, the lower stop member 52 on the blade holder part 14 and lower stop member 51 on the comb 46 prevent the blade 54 from lowering to a point where it will fall out of, or be detached from the blade housing 10.

It should also be noted that it is a simple matter to change blades in the present device inasmuch as a new blade is butted in end-to-end manner with the blade to be discarded, and the new blade pushed into the housing 10 and the old blade ejected out of the housing, leaving the new blade only in the operative position.

The operation of the device is clearly seen in FIG. 4 in which two possible positions of the device are shown. In this regard, it should be apparent that the full line position of the blade 54 shows the same in operative position as a haircutting and trimming device. In the dotted line position thereof, the blade 54 is lowered to a position in which the same is suitable for use in straight razor shaving.

The fixed blade holder part 12 of the device is provided with indicator markings 56 that are aligned with adjacent and corresponding markings 58 on the movable blade holder part 14. This arrangement permits the setting and resetting of a selected depth of cut of the blade 5,4 in the housing 10.

As seen in FIG. 5, the small inclined surface 51 results in a starting ramp for inserting the forward edge of blade 54 in the blade housing 10, and the large inclined surface 53 is a larger ramp for continuing the guiding of the partially inserted blade 54 in said housing.

As seen in FIG. 3, the blade holder 12 is provided with a bearing surface 37 that engages and abuts co-acting bearing surface 39 of the blade holder part 14. Thus, the bearing surfaces result in the movable blade part 14 being guided for movement in a positive manner in the blade housing 10, and the springs 50 function to bias or urge the movable blade holder part 14 against the front surface of the blade 54, thereby firmly holding the latter in the blade housing.

I claim:

1. A haircutting device comprising a blade housing including a first blade holder part having a comb and provided with an extension having a finger rest at one end thereof, a handle pivoted to said extension whereby in one position thereof the finger rest is inaccessible and in another position thereof the finger rest is accessible, at second blade holder part interfitting with said first blade holder part but having a longitudinal through-passage, an elongated gear in said first blade holder part and at least one rack on said second blade holder part engaging said gear, a cutter blade inserted between said first and second blade holder parts and means holding said cutter blade therein for movement relative to said comb, said means including a pair of side grooves in said first blade holder part, a second blade holder part having a pair of relative fiat springs with free ends which are adapted to be inserted in said side grooves whereby said second blade holder part is urged into engagement with said blade, said cutter blade being replaced by another cutter blade by butting said other cutter in an end-to-end manner with the said blade to be discarded and pushing the latter 4 through said through-passage and a finger-operable control wheel located in said extension for rotating said gear and thereby moving said blade in a selected direction.

2. A haircutting device comprising a blade housing including a first blade holder part having a comb and provided with an extension, a handle secured to said extension, a second blade holder part interfitting with said first blade holder part but having a longitudinal throughpassage, a. single edge cutter blade inserted between said first and second blade holder parts and releasably held therein for movement relative to said comb, a ramp-like inclined surface at one entrance of said longitudinal through-passage for guiding said cutter blade between said first and second blade holder parts, said first and second blade holder parts having adjacent upper stop members for said cutter blade, said comb and an adjacent part of said second blade holder part having lower stop members for said cutter blade, an elongated gear in said first blade holder part and at least one rack on said second blade holder part engaging said gear, and a finger-operable control device located in said extension for rotating said gear and thereby moving said blade in a selected direction.

3. A haircutting device as claimed in claim 2 wherein said blade has a thickened spine for engaging said upper stop members and said lower stop members on said first and second blade holder parts.

4. A haircutting device as claimed in claim 2 wherein two spaced racks are provided on said second blade holder part, a pair of complementary tracks in said first blade holder part in which said racks are movable therein by said elongated gear.

5. A haircutting device as claimed in claim 2 further comprising co-acting indicator means on said first and second blade holder parts for marking the preselected depth of cut of said blade in said blade housing.

6. A haircutting device as claimed in claim 2 wherein said first and second blade holder parts are provided with complementary sections that index said first and second blade holder parts for positive movement relative to each other.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,722,739 11/ 1955 Davis 30-30 2,746,144 5/1956 Spanel 30-31 2,793,429 5/1957 Barbiera 3031 3,409,981 11/1968 Beverly 30-30 OTHELL M. SIMPSON, Primary Examiner 

